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Family travel 14 days Tokyo + Osaka

Hi..

My family – 2 adults and 2 kids – one is 2+ years old and 5+ years old will travel to Japan in Sep for 14 days. I have some queries on JP pass:

1/ Did my two children need to buy JR pass? If not, is it meant that they need to share a seat with the
adult?

2/ For JR lines inside Tokyo centre, can we use JR pass to take for Free?

3/ Below is my itinerary, is it worth to buy JR pass? Is the itinerary make sense?

Day
1 Arrive in Japan
2 Mt. Fuji 1 day tour
3 Asakusa Shrine, Ueno park, Akihabara - any pass recommended?
4 Tsukiji Market, Odaiba, Ginza Tokyo
5 DisneyLand
6 DisneySea
7 Activate JR pass- Tokyo to Osaka, Umeda Sky Building, Osaka Castle
8 Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan – 1 day tour
9 Osaka to Nara – 1 day tour
10 Osaka to Kobe – 1 day tour - Any places recommended?
11 Osaka shopping tour and Kuromon Ichiba Market
12 Osaka back to Tokyo
13 Final shopping Tokyo
14 Back to Singapore from Tokyo

4/ Or I should itinerary to maximum the usage of JR pass

Day
1 Arrive in Japan, Tokyo to Osaka, ETA: 1620 at Narita
2 Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan – 1 day tour
3 Osaka to Nara – 1 day tour
4 Osaka to Kobe – 1 day tour
5 Osaka tour
6 Osaka back to Tokyo
7 DisneyLand
8 DisneySea
9 Mt. Fuji 1 day tour
10 Asakusa Shrine, Ueno park, Akihabara
11 Tsukiji Market, Odaiba, Ginza
12 Free and easy
13 Final shopping
14 Back to Singapore from Tokyo

5/ Please advise how to transit from Narita airport to Osaka directly? How to exchange the JR pass in Airport?

6/ Since travel with children, where we can store our language or deliver it to our Osaka/ Tokyo hotel?


Comments

  • edited March 2017
    Hi,
    1) Your kids (if under 6) can travel for free but are not entitled to a seat.
    2) Yes, you could ride JR lines in Tokyo on the pass. The Yamanote line goes to several popular tourist areas.
    3) Your plans are not enough to make a 7 day pass pay off. You could use a japanican ticket though which costs far less.
    http://www.japanican.com/en/tour/detail/VJOPENTO1/
    Even though you'd still need to pay for some local travel, you'd still come out way ahead.
    I think your first plan looks better. Trying to rush over to Osaka right after arriving would be extremely tiring, especially right after a long plane trip and with young kids. Try to keep a light first day. As for the Fuji area, you need to choose either the Hakone or the Fuji 5 Lakes area. You could not do both in just a day.
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5200.html
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5210.html
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6900.html
    There are good regional passes you can use for both.
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_008.html
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6905.html

    For within Tokyo, a 2 or 3 day subway pass can save you some money.
    http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/value/travel/index.html#anc03
    It wouldn't get you all the way to the Disney parks, but fares are not that high anyways.
    There is no "direct" train from Narita to Osaka. From the airport you can take a train or bus. If you used the pass, the Narita Express is the one you'd take to either Tokyo Stn or Shinagawa. But due to your plans it would not work out for your 6+ days in Kansai.
    A cheaper way from Narita is the 1000 yen bus.
    http://accessnarita.jp/en/home/
    If you're going to the Umeda Sky Bldg (or Abeno Harukas Bldg which is newer) the best time to go would be right before sunset to see the city change from day to night - very nice. Also after sunset you can see Dotonbori for its great food, atmosphere and lights. I suggest you look at a weather site like www.weather.com and keep your eyes on the forecast. Almost certainly one of your days is going to have bad weather, and that day would better be spent indoors like at the aquarium or some museum.
    For Nara, most of the best is in the Nara Park area. The Todaiji Temple is an absolute must.
    For Kobe, up to your interests, but see:
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2159.html
    http://www.feel-kobe.jp/_en/
    If you haven't otherwise gone to one, make some time to see a hot spring or onsen while in Japan at least once. There is one, Arima, in Kobe. You can also combine Kobe with seeing Himeji if you like, with Japan's finest castle. A Kansai Area Pass would pay off for such a day trip.
    I am wondering why you are not allocating any real time for Kyoto. It is the crown jewel of the country.
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